Download REL ATAR UNIT ONE

REL ATAR UNIT ONE
Syllabus content
Focus Questions
THE NATURE OF RELIGION
The search for meaning
• The concept of religion
and being religious
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Religious inquiry and learning
skills
Terms and concepts
• use terms and concepts in
appropriate contexts to
demonstrate relevant
knowledge and
understanding
Research
• frame questions to guide
inquiry and develop a
coherent research plan for
inquiry
• identify, locate and
organise relevant
information from a range
of relevant sources
• practise ethical scholarship
when conducting research
Analysis and use of sources
• identify the origin, purpose
and context of particular
sources
• analyse, interpret and
synthesise evidence from
different types of sources
to develop and sustain an
academic argument
• evaluate the reliability,
usefulness and contestable
nature of sources to
develop informed
judgements that support
an academic argument
• analyse and evaluate
different interpretations
and points of view
Explanation and
communication
• develop reasoned and
supported conclusions
• develop texts that
integrate appropriate
evidence from a range of
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What is meant by the
concept ‘religion’?
What are examples of
some world religions?
How do we know
someone is ‘religious’?
What are some indicators
of being religious?
TERMS:
 Religion
 Religious
 Spirituality
 Religious affiliation
 Religious adherence
 Religious sign
 Religious symbols
 Religious celebrations
 Religious characteristics
 Religious beliefs
 Religious identity
 Religious observance
 Religious teaching
 Religious practice
 Religious rituals
 Religious faith expressions
 Religious events
 Christian denominations
 Atheism
 Secularism
 Agnosticism
 Humanism
Mod Two: Religion and Religiosity
Key ideas
The concept of religion
 A concept of religion can be
developed by observing
religious organisations to
get an idea or general
under-standing
about
them.
 Religion is a gathering of
people who share common
beliefs about their
experiences of God or gods
 As a result religions:
Develop particular ideas about
God or gods
Share common
understandings about basic
human questions, such as the
purpose of life, life after death,
and what it means to be a
human being
Share memories which have
been handed down through
genera-tions
Worship using common rituals
and prayers
Develop codes of behaviour
based upon their
understanding of how the
divine expects them to beDescribing religion
Although religions differ in
many ways they still tend to
share
and
express the
experience of the divine in
some basic way. They all have
sacred places, sacred signs and
symbols,
rituals,
sa-cred
objects, religious writings and
religious leaders.
The development of religion
Some religions believe in one
God while others believe in
more than one God. Some
religions believe the divine to
be kind and merciful while
others believe in a harsh and
Suggested Outline of Learning
Lesson planning (2 weeks)
Assessment
The concept of religion and
being religious
• Define key terms in the
syllabus dot point
• Different definitions of
‘religion’
• Develop a working
definition of key terms
such as religion and
spirituality
• Ways of describing religion
• Characteristics most
religions share in common
and examples of these
characteristics in some of
the different world
religions
• Describing religiosity, for
instance: identity,
participation, affiliation,
adherence
Lesson 1 :Introduction to the concept of ‘religion’
 Introduce the unit, syllabus and module
 Analyse the dot point
 Define key terms, including meaning and purpose
 Definitions of religion and spirituality (handout – see lib
guide)
 Access
libguide: http://cms.ceo.wa.libguides.com/smc11arel1
HOMEWORK

Research the meanings of the key TERMS for this module
Explanation
The format for explanations
can be: structured short
written responses, extended
writing such as reports and
essays, oral and/or multimedia
presentations including
speeches and/or seminar
presentations.
Teaching and Learning
 Review and define the key
words in the syllabus dotpoint
 Explore different
definitions of religion,
discussing similarities and
differences
 Research different
viewpoints about the role
religion and spirituality
plays in people’s lives
 Identify what students
know about different
religions; note
misconceptions and
incorrect understandings
 Outline characteristics
most religions share in
common and locate
specific examples from a
range of different religions
for each characteristic.
Record findings.
 Discuss the limitations the
use of such characteristics
may present for
Lesson 2 - The concept of religion
 Module 2 student handout
 In class inquiry – (see lib guide)
Lesson 3 - Describing religion
 Module 2 student handout
Lesson 4 - The development of religion
 Module 2 student handout
HOMEWORK

Research the religions of ancient Rome and Greece
Lesson 5 - The main characteristics of religion
 Module 2 student handout
Lesson 6 - Religions of the world including Aboriginal
Spirituality
 Module 2 student handout
 SOURCE ANALYSIS WORKSHEET (see Lib Guide)
HOMEWORK

Research the key beliefs of one main religion
Source analysis
Students respond to questions
based on one or more sources.
Sources can include: religious
teachings and practices
(extracts from stories, sacred
texts and writings, oral
traditions, speeches, symbols,
artwork, rituals); newspapers
(extracts from reportage,
analysis, editorials, letters,
opinion columns, cartoons);
radio, television, video and
film (news, current affairs,
documentaries, dramas,
comedy); and/or websites.
The format for source analysis
can include: structured short
written responses and/or
extended written answers.
4%
Investigation
Students use the religious
inquiry and learning skills to
plan, conduct and
communicate the results of an
inquiry.
Research formats can include:
Lesson 7 - The relationship between other religions and written reports, oral
presentations or multimedia
Catholicism
presentations, or a
 Module 2 student handout
combination of these.
Lesson 8 - Being religious
 Module 2 student handout
 REVIEW AND REVISION – (see Lib guide)
HOMEWORK

Research examples of ‘being religious’
Examination
Typically conducted at the end
of each semester and/or unit.
In preparation for Unit 3 and
Unit 4, the examination should
reflect the examination design
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sources to explain, support
and/or refute arguments
communicate
understanding by selecting
and using text forms
appropriate to purpose
and audience
apply appropriate
referencing techniques
accurately and consistently
judgemental
God.
Some
religions believe that all people
are equal while others believe
they are not equal.

The main characteristics of
religion
One way of describing religions
is to look at the common
characteristics such as:
Beliefs and practices
Rituals, practices, events and
cele-brations
Leadership and rules
Customs and traditions
Religions of the world
There are a number of world
religions including Baha'i,
Buddhism,
Christian-ity,
Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam,
Jainism,
Judaism,
Shinto,
Sikhism,
Taoism,
and
Zoroastrianism.
Aboriginal Spirituality
One common feature of
Aboriginal spirituality is the
importance of ‘country’.
The relationship between
other
religions
and
Catholicism
Since the Second Vatican
Council in the 1960s the
Catholic
Church
has
endeavoured to reach out to
and maintain a dialogue with
people of other faiths.
Being religious
Being religious is a deeply
personal matter. Recognising a
person as reli-gious and
understanding what being
religious looks like requires
both an understanding of a
particular religion and a
willingness to consider a range
of different ‘measures’ of
religiosity.


developing an
understanding of religion
in general and of particular
religions
Locate and analyse a range
of sources that describe
something about “being
religious”
Teach suitable skills for
working with such
documents
Compile a list of the
different ways “being
religious” might be
understood; define where
necessary each term
brief included in the ATAR Year
12 syllabus for this course.
Suggested extension/supplementary work
•
Section One - Source analysis
Questions consist of parts
which can range from short to
more extended answers.
Questions require the
candidate to refer to source
material, which can include:
extracts from religious
manuscripts, news media
and/or journal articles.
Materials can be in the form of
text, images, graphs and/or
cartoons.
Section Two - Short answer
Questions can be in parts and
can require the candidate to
respond to quotations and/or
propositions.
Section Three – Essay
Questions can require the
candidate to respond to
quotations and/or
propositions.